DEPLOYMENT 19: Mech Warrior

[walking_nuke]

[ACTION - A JUNE 8 (847 Goldberg, Morning, OPEN TO ALL)]

[On the morning right before the Blackwing Project virus is unleashed, Balin gets his own package in the mail, sitting right by the mailbox. He picks it up to take a look at it, realizing quickly just how heavy it is, and setting it back down again just a few steps onto the driveway.]

[If it's this heavy, it's got to be some kind of hardware he had back on the front lines ... but the town's already given him back his Series 3 shotgun, which means—]

[Balin promptly starts opening the package right then and there, tearing it open almost like a kid on Christmas. Then he puts on what's inside—pieces of armored plate and underlayers, fitting right over his usual PT uniform. Boots excepted, of course—he swaps those out with the armored ones in the package.]


[Neighbors or passerby on the street might see him putting it on—and of course, so will the housemates, since he'll be going back inside the house to take care of a few last things before heading off to work.]

[ACTION - B JUNE 8 (Anywhere in Mayfield, Late Morning to Evening, OPEN TO ALL)]

[Balin's feeling a lot more like his usual self now that he has his Mech Armor suit back, and it shows. He's wearing it everywhere he goes today, whether it's working at the construction yard or on his daily physical training regimen. For anyone who's met him before—especially back during the memory corruption—Balin carries himself in a more confident way as he goes about his business.]

[ACTION - C JUNE 9 (Anywhere in Mayfield, Morning to Evening, OPEN TO ALL)]

[When the Blackwing virus shows itself, though, it's back to business.]

[He'd heard Ciel's phone call about it, but this time, he's not going to trust Caesar to the battle nun's care. With more of his hardware and Logos Abilities in his possession than last year, Balin's a lot more confident in his ability to hold ground against something so infectious. This kind of thing is, after all, exactly why he spent so much time trying to make homebrew Claymore mines.]

[But while he does have a number of usable prototypes on hand, neither he nor Quinn have had the time to work out a control system for selectively detonating the mines from a single location. He also doesn't have the blasting supplies on hand, which means ...]

[Balin's decided to take a risk while the outbreak is in its relatively early stages to try and get blasting caps and supplies from the construction yard for rigging up to the makeshift mines he'd built at the house. He's almost certain that the town's going to turn into a war zone very quickly, which is why he's armed, armored, and dangerous. Care to prove him right?]

[ACTION - D JUNE 10-11 (Goldberg Street, Morning to Evening, OPEN TO ALL)]

[The Blackwing zombies may retain enough tactical skill to set up ambushes and traps, but Balin's not about to be shown up by the undead. For the infected, Goldberg Street is a deathtrap—Balin's set up the house with the rough homebrew claymore designs he'd been building and experimenting with for the past few weeks.]

[Whether you're a survivor or an infected, you might occasionally hear the sound of a Claymore detonating every now and then if you're in the area. Or you might spot Balin using his Logos Abilities and firearms to clean up the streets. And he's probably not alone in fighting them.]

[PHONE JUNE 12 (Afternoon)]

[Once it's clear that the virus has burned itself out, Balin's going to see Quinn about finishing up the perimeter defense project properly. This time though, he's going to phone ahead.]

Yo, Quinn? I gotta speak with you on somethin'. You free?

Comments

[walking_nuke]

[She apologized?]

[She apologized.]

[... Maybe it's just because of his association with Virginia, but this is like a complete 180 from hearing her dismissively stating that humans die all the time and there'll always be more.]

[So he just stares dumbfoundedly at her.]

[idkmybfforin]

[Balin's stare is met with an equally confused one!

Okuu scratches at her head a bit too, to complete the picture.]

...what?

[walking_nuke]

You're a helluva lot different'an when I first met you, you know'at?

[idkmybfforin]

[...while that was probably meant as a good thing, it just reminded her of how things used to be. Specifically, the people that weren't here anymore.

She says nothing in response, only smoothing her feathers back down.]

[walking_nuke]

[And now it's Balin's turn.]

What?

[idkmybfforin]

Were you looking for something?

[NOPE, NOT ANSWERING.]

[walking_nuke]

[—Oh, shit, right. he forgot about that.]

I was, yeah—

[He turns and jogs toward one of the small temporary sheds on the site, looking back to Utsuho as he makes his way there.]

Be out in a sec!

[idkmybfforin]

[Utsuho stared after wherever Balin had gone for a moment--and then looked off into the distance, her expression almost, almost complex. Remembering things.

Thinking...was bad. But she sighs anyway.

...of course with Okuu involved fire is also involved somewhere; rather than a normal breath, she exhales a small jet of superheated air that cools into a small fireball, curling away some distance from her face.

It still sounded like a sigh, though.]

[walking_nuke]

[Minutes pass. There's rustling coming from that building every now and then, the sound of heavy things being jostled and pushed about.]

[Finally, Balin comes walking out of the building with a good-sized cardboard box. It's open, allowing Utsuho to see just what's inside: smaller boxes of blasting caps.]

Yo!

[He looks up at Utsuho as he approaches to within a few feet.]

I'm back.

[idkmybfforin]

[Okuu's eyes were actually...closed, for awhile there. When her eyes do open again, her expression looks slightly melancholy for a brief moment.

Then that all switches to a more usual curiosity, leaning over to peer into the box. There was a smaller box inside the big box, and it had markings on it.]

What's that?

[walking_nuke]

Blasting caps an' some other stuff. My explosives won't go off unless'ey're wired up to a detonator.

[A short beat.]

Listen, this stuff's sensitive, ahright? It'll blow up if you do shit like droppin' me off in mid-air. Don't do'at.

[idkmybfforin]

Okay.

[But that doesn't stop her from shaking her wings out and swooping the short distance down to pick Balin up while he's still facing the wrong way.

He might notice some shards and scraps of a strangely concrete-like material on one of her feet, too.]

1/2

[walking_nuke]

[At least this time he can see it coming and isn't startled by it!]

[Though, getting picked up while facing Utsuho, he's not exactly going to be complaining about the view here. On the other hand, it kind of makes it hard to see anything else—and there's the risk of his box of blasting gear getting smashed in between their bodies. That would not be good.]

Hey! Watch'a box—!

[He tries to keep an arm between the box and Utsuho's stomach in an attempt to cushion it—]

2/2

[walking_nuke]

[Thunk.]

[Something just bumped his one of the leg plates on his Mech Armor suit.]

... Someone throwin' rocks at us?

[idkmybfforin]

[LORD YATAGARASU LOOKS UPON YOU WITH DISAPPROVAL.

...presumably. It's kind of hard to tell what it's thinking. But it is currently taking up most of Balin's vision.

The hellraven makes a kind of "oof" noise when he throws his arm out, but aside from that little hitch her flight proceeds uninterrupted.]

Unyu?

[That made her pause, though, and stop momentarily to hover.]

I don't see anyone.

[Something thumps into Balin's foot again, though.]

[walking_nuke]

[DON'T JUDGE HIM, YATAGARASU, IT'S SOFT HERE. That bump makes Balin frown, though. He can't really look anywhere, but his eyes turn up toward where Utsuho's head ought to be.]

I just felt it again. Somethin' keeps bumpin' my leg!

[idkmybfforin]

...unyu?

[Okuu lifts Balin away from herself, so that she can actually see, and--]

Oh, that's me.

[walking_nuke]

[Damn Okuu keep your third leg under control!]

[Balin cranes his neck trying to figure out what it is that makes that thumping sound so heavy. Utsuho's a big girl, but she doesn't sound like a boulder when she hits something.]

You carrying rocks or somethin—?

[idkmybfforin]

[Okuu stretches her foot out so Balin can see.]

I stepped in something.

[Her foot seems to be covered in the dregs of concrete. Or...something concrete-like.]

[walking_nuke]

[... What.]

You stepped in concrete..

[idkmybfforin]

...I guess?

[Oh, wait, she should start flying again. So she does that!]

Or whatever the reactor was made out of. It must not have been very strong, since it melted so easily...

[walking_nuke]

[Now Balin's confused.]

There ain't no nuke reactor at'a construction yard.

[Because that's got to be where Okuu stepped in wet concrete, right?]

[idkmybfforin]

There was back home! That was my job.

[Nope.]

[walking_nuke]

Hold on a second. You had a job workin' at a nuke reactor in'at Gensokyo place?

[No one ever told him this. Sure, Remilia once told him that was why somebody let her swallow a dead divine bird, but nobody said what happened after she went on her rampage ...]

[idkmybfforin]

...yes?

[DON'T WORRY SHE'S GOT THIS.]

Where else would it be?